Chapter 8: The Battle of Sosshi Village and the Black Market
Asta's massive sword cleaved through the freezing air, splitting the enemy's magic in two. The colossal ice spear shattered down the middle, both halves crashing past Magna on either side.
"Unforgivable!" Asta roared. "Why would you do something this cruel? Who are you people?!"
The cloaked figures exchanged confused whispers, surprised that their mist barrier had been breached.
The ice mage, his face emotionless, checked his pocket watch before replying coldly. "The Black Bulls… the lazy, violent heretics of the Magic Knights. Five minutes. Kill everyone and locate the target."
Leo narrowed his eyes. So it's mindless evil again… or something worse.
Asta charged in, his sword cutting through the thick fog, but one of the enemy mages used mist magic to knock him off balance. Asta's blade sliced through the haze again, scattering it like smoke.
The ice mage's eyes narrowed. "So that sword can nullify magic… troublesome."
Asta's voice rose, trembling with rage. "I asked you — why are you killing innocent villagers?!"
The ice mage's tone remained indifferent. "This village is full of lowborns—outcasts who live beyond the capital's grace. The weak who can only use pitiful life-sustaining spells. They're worthless cattle wasting the world's mana. Eliminating such filth saves me time. Nothing more."
He tilted his head slightly. "You have mana strong enough to join the Knights. I assume this mission made you want to save these people. But can't you see? They're nothing but livestock."
Leo's voice cut through the icy wind. "Doesn't matter how you see it. They're people, same as us — made from the same flesh and blood."
Asta nodded fiercely. "Then I'll protect them. No matter what."
The ice mage smirked. "Is that so? You value such filth that much? Then protect them, if you can. Compound Magic: Infinite Ice Shards!"
Countless icy daggers rained down from the sky.
Asta swung wildly, cutting apart what he could. Leo's chains lashed out, deflecting as many as possible, while Magna hurled bursts of flame upward, shattering incoming shards. Still, they couldn't stop them all.
Noelle, trembling, raised her hand and released a sphere of water that completely missed its mark.
One of the enemies sneered. "A Black Bull who can't even control her own mana. How pitiful."
Noelle froze, her confidence cracking.
Then, a small child tugged at her skirt. "Please… save us, big sister."
Something inside her snapped.
Her grimoire flared open, glowing with divine light. "Water Creation Magic: Sea Dragon's Nest!"
A massive dome of water surged up, covering everyone inside. It was as if a great bowl of the sea itself had inverted to form an impenetrable shield above them.
Asta leapt out from the barrier, swinging his sword downward. His strike grazed the ice mage, but the man had already created a slick frozen floor. Asta slipped, missing his mark.
"Such clumsy movements," the ice mage said coldly. A sharp spike of ice erupted from beneath Asta's feet, launching him high into the air.
He stepped past the falling boy, stopping before Noelle's barrier. "It'll take me twenty-five seconds to dismantle this magic. You've wasted enough of my time. The cost will be your lives."
Asta's voice echoed from above. "Not yet!" He swung again, but another eruption of ice spears sent him crashing backward.
Still, Asta climbed to his feet, his hands shaking. "I'm not doing this just to keep a promise… I'll become the Wizard King to protect everyone!"
Magna laughed, blood running down his face. "You're a real man, Asta!"
Leo stepped forward, his eyes calm. "Magna-senpai, let's go. It's time for the final push."
Magna nodded, igniting his mana to its limit. "Then this is your baptism, kid! Fire Magic — Scatter Shot Blazing Balls!"
Fiery spheres exploded through the air. Behind them, Leo's chains shot outward, five targets, two each — locking their movements and cutting off their focus.
The explosion wrapped around the enemies, Asta's sword cleaving through the flames and reflecting them back in a brilliant arc.
When the dust settled, the cloaked men were down. Only the ice mage remained standing.
Asta stumbled forward and struck one final blow, his sword smashing through the ice mage's defenses. The battle was over.
Leo didn't hesitate. He summoned his chains again — Mana-Sealing Chains — and bound all five enemies tightly. The space mage and the ice mage both struggled, their magic completely suppressed.
Asta pointed his sword at the unconscious ice mage. "See that? The so-called lowborns you look down on just beat you, bastard." Then, his strength failed, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Leo looked at the defeated mages. I'll need to be ready. Space magic is the real prize — and ice might still have mana left to take. He began channeling energy from his Yin Seal, his body faintly glowing.
Minutes later, the five captives began to stir.
Magna crossed his arms, glaring. "Once my mana's back, we're dragging you bastards to the capital. You'll spend the rest of your lives paying for this! Who are you? What's your purpose?"
The ice mage opened his eyes slowly. "I refuse."
The word sent a shockwave through the air. In an instant, three of the captured mages froze solid, their bodies shattering into icy fragments. Only the space mage and the ice mage himself remained.
Leo's instincts screamed danger. He immediately activated the Yin Seal, releasing a surge of mana that left even Magna and Noelle speechless.
Before the ice mage could move, Leo darted forward, his eyes blazing with focus. His grimoire flared open, glowing bright blue.
"Sealing Magic: Grimoire Seal!"
First, he targeted the space mage — the weaker of the two. The man barely resisted before being consumed by his own grimoire, which folded in on itself and vanished into Leo's.
Then Leo turned toward the ice mage, pouring every remaining drop of his power into the spell.
The ice mage's eyes widened for the first time — in disbelief. "What—are you—"
His words froze midair as his body dissolved into shimmering particles, drawn into his own grimoire.
Two grimoires fell to the ground, pulsing faintly before being absorbed into Leo's book.
The light faded. The village was silent.
Magna stood there, mouth agape. "What… what just happened? That was your magic?"
Leo exhaled slowly, sweat dripping from his chin. "Yeah," he said quietly. "My magic."
Behind him, Asta stirred, still unconscious but smiling faintly — as if even in his dreams, he'd already won.
Noelle stood beside him, still staring at the scene in disbelief. "How… how did you do that?"
Leo exhaled lightly, closing his grimoire. "It's my magic — Sealing Magic. It can seal anything."
Magna frowned. "Then why seal them inside their own grimoires?"
Asta and Noelle turned toward Leo, curious. He coughed awkwardly and replied, "Because there's nothing else suitable for containment. Grimoires are the only vessels strong enough."
Magna scratched his head. "That explanation feels like no explanation at all. Can they be unsealed?"
Leo shook his head calmly. "No. Once sealed, there's no reversal. In a way… they're already dead."
Magna was silent for a moment before nodding. "If that's your trump card, I won't pry. Let's just say those five turned themselves into ice shards with magic tools, yeah?" He glanced at Asta and Noelle, who quickly nodded in unison.
"Right, that's exactly what happened!" they both said, forcing awkward smiles.
Just then, an anti-bird swooped down and started pecking Asta's head with relentless energy. Noelle burst out laughing, the sound carrying lightly through the cold air as the group finally left Sosshi Village behind.
When they returned to base, Yami greeted them with his usual deadpan expression. "You idiots look like you've been through hell. Well, whatever. Good job, dumbasses."
The three stood straight and answered together, "Yes, sir!"
Vanessa leaned lazily against a pillar, holding a wine glass. "The Forensic Magic Division is investigating the remains. From what little they found, that ice mage's pocket watch was insanely expensive — likely a royal extremist, a political fanatic."
Yami shrugged. "Doesn't matter. The Wizard King recognized our efforts. We earned one star."
Magna's eyes widened. "Wait—really?!"
Asta blinked. "What's a star supposed to mean?"
Vanessa giggled. "The nine Magic Knight Squads compete for stars. Each one's a mark of merit. The Golden Dawn are first place right now — seventy stars."
Yami muttered, lighting a cigarette. "Which puts us at… negative thirty."
Asta and Magna's faces fell at the same time.
Then Yami tossed them a small pouch. "Your pay for the month. Try not to blow it all on booze or junk."
Vanessa smiled. "Speaking of which — let's head to the lower town. I've got errands anyway, so I'll take you guys along."
After Finral warped them to the bustling city market, Vanessa led them through a maze of stalls and shops. Eventually, the path turned dimmer — they had entered the black market.
"Don't wander too far," she warned, waving a finger.
Leo nodded, then excused himself to buy magic potions. Inside a cramped apothecary, he examined bottles lined across the shelves. "Healing potions, huh?"
The shopkeeper, a short man with goggles, explained proudly, "Cures minor injuries easily, but for serious wounds… not much effect."
Leo frowned. In a world filled with mana and magic plants, this is the best they can do? Unreal.
After paying for a few bottles, he stepped outside — only to see chaos ahead.
A wind mage had snatched an old woman's purse and was sprinting through the crowd. Asta was right behind him, shouting, "Stop right there!"
Leo happened to be in front of the thief's path. Without hesitation, he flipped open his grimoire. "Chain Control!"
A silver chain shot out, whipping the air — the sound cracked like thunder. It struck the thief squarely in the chest, knocking him unconscious instantly.
Moments later, Sekke — the self-proclaimed "Hahaha-guy" — arrived, puffing his chest. "Good job, citizen! I'll take him to the Magic Knights for sentencing."
But just as he grabbed the thief, the man stirred awake, slashing Sekke's foot with a hidden blade. "You're coming with me—to hell!"
Before he could move again, Leo's chain lashed out a second time, wrapping tightly around him. "Chain Bind!" The thief fell limp, completely restrained.
Sekke lay on the ground, wailing dramatically. "I've been poisoned! This is it! My dream—tell Asta—take my dream and fulfill it for me!"
Asta shouted back, "Your dream's your own to achieve!"
Vanessa arrived then, sighing as she knelt down. "Relax, you drama queen. That's a mild nerve toxin." She applied a salve from her pouch and rubbed it over his wound. "You'll live."
Sekke blushed furiously, mumbling as everyone stared. "I—I knew that…"
After a brief round of laughter, he dragged the thief away, muttering excuses the whole time.
Back at the Black Bulls' base, Leo finally returned to his room. It was spotless — he'd cleaned it thoroughly on his first night.
Sitting at his desk, he reflected quietly. The mission had gone well, and he'd gained two grimoires. It was time to put them to use.
He began condensing mana again, channeling it into the Yin Seal until it brimmed with power. A full day and night passed — no food, no sleep, no rest.
Then he began.
"Sealing Magic: Grimoire Fusion."
First, he absorbed the space grimoire. His book flashed, and within seconds, new spells formed: Spatial Gate and several blank pages ready for inscription.
The next day, he began sealing the ice grimoire.
Hours later, when the glow faded, two new spells had emerged: Ice Freeze and Icicle Shot.
He smiled faintly, satisfied.
Escape ability, offensive power, and healing supplies — all secured.
Leo closed his grimoire, eyes sharp with resolve.
"The plan can finally begin."